Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Reluctance
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"Hoo... That wasn't easy."
Huang Bo-yun shook her body lightly right after barely slipping away from between Namgung Hwan and Namgung Ji.
"Factional strife, huh. Lucky it's not my family."
Huang Bo-yun had never experienced factional strife.
She was the daughter of the current family head.
Yet her physique mocked the limitations of being a woman—a Heavenly Sovereign Body.
Paired with genius aptitude perfectly suited to it and a flawless temperament without any rough edges.
Huang Bo-yun was truly the blessing sent from the heavens for the rise of the Hwangbo family.
The elders had unanimously demanded her appointment as young lady of the house the moment she turned ten, and all the retainers cherished and loved the beautiful, magnanimous Huang Bo-yun.
In fact, it had gotten so overwhelming that she'd run away from home out of frustration.
So while Huang Bo-yun understood sibling rivalries intellectually, she couldn't feel them in her heart.
"Sorry. This is my fault..."
"No. I'm glad we came to Dengwang Pavilion."
Wi Sowol omitted the unspoken follow-up: Maybe we won't see it again next time.
If things followed her memories from her past life, Dengwang Pavilion would collapse soon enough.
"R-Really?"
"Definitely. It lives up to the name of one of the Three Great Pavilions."
Wi Sowol leaned against the railing of the upper deck they'd chosen as their hideout and let the outside breeze wash over her.
The wind atop Dengwang Pavilion carried a faint autumn scent.
No aromas from street food for the Mid-Autumn Festival, no mingled sweat and human odors from the crowds.
Just the crisp freshness of clear air.
The upper deck held only the two of them.
Wi Sowol removed her sparrow-beak mask and deeply inhaled the autumn air.
"Haa..."
"Pfft. Feels good?"
"I had so much on my mind."
Her head had felt clearer back in Muchang County.
She didn't need to think deeply—just sort enemies from allies and fight.
But Namchang County's matters were tangled.
The sound arts to learn from Ryu Yeon-seo, treating her syphilis patients, the source of her expensive materials, Namgung Shin from her past life ties...
The knotted, foggy thoughts in her mind seemed to clear in the pristine autumn breeze.
Since we're already here, maybe spend the day like this.
It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, after all.
"Bo-yun."
"Yeah?"
"On the way back, wanna catch a play?"
"Ooh... With mooncakes?"
"Even better."
Huang Bo-yun smiled back as Wi Sowol grinned.
Let worries drift away on the leisurely flowing river, breathe in the wind to fill with newness.
As they chatted aimlessly like that, the topic inevitably came up.
"Wonder what'll happen to the Namgung family in the end."
"The succession?"
"Yeah. I heard their side's a total mess too."
The Namgung family's succession struggle was fairly infamous.
At least among the Eight Great Families, everyone was watching closely.
Huang Bo-yun had heard about it back home too.
But since she herself was so far removed from factional strife, she hadn't taken it too seriously.
Plus, she hadn't expected to come to Namchang County herself.
Until seeing it firsthand, she hadn't felt the need to think about it.
"Even felt murderous intent."
"Yeah."
"I heard back at the family that this competition's especially fierce because the elders are absent."
"The Namgung head?"
"They say he's quite the prodigal. Was decent when young, but after becoming head, he fell into wine, women, and debauchery."
The Namgung family had a long history—how could there be no sibling rivalries?
But the current one was exceptionally vicious because the family heavyweights weren't mediating.
The current head, Sword King Namgung Jae, had long abandoned family affairs for his dissipated lifestyle.
The former head, Soaring Sword Immortal Namgung Won, had secluded himself in the family ancestral grounds over a decade ago after handing over the seat.
The other transcendent master, One-Armed Sword Lord Namgung Do, rarely visited due to his wanderlust.
Namgung Jae was guarding Namchang as head, but all three of the family's transcendent experts were failing in their roles.
'One-Armed Sword Lord.'
Others might not know, but Wi Sowol did.
'He was Seon Woo-hoon's close friend.'
Or sworn enemy, maybe.
Seon Woo-hoon, who used only a single sword, started wielding one in his left hand after Namgung Do lost his arm.
What a nasty-tempered fellow.
But he truly established the realm of one sword, one blade and became a transcendent master.
Namgung Do reached transcendence soon after, or else.
Otherwise, their "fierce rivalry" would've been passed down as Seon Woo-hoon's ultimate humiliation of a fellow human.
Anyway, Wi Sowol rummaged through her past-life memories again.
'Who won again?'
As she recalled, the Namgung young lord was a man.
"Probably the Sword Dragon side."
Thinking of him naturally led to why she even knew the Namgung young lord.
'He tried to hunt down Namgung Shin.'
As young lord, punishing the family traitor who'd defected to the Sword Assembly.
And Namgung Shin did die in that manhunt.
Not by the young lord's hand, though.
Recalling Namgung Shin stirred the sunken thoughts back up.
Their past-life connection wasn't that deep.
Many people had brushed past her, but few she'd consider true ties.
Namgung Shin was one.
He'd been the staunchest follower of her past self, Sword Ghost Wi Soil.
In inaction, deeds, loyalty.
But Wi Sowol had wanted nothing from him.
Namgung Shin followed the Sword Ghost because his actions matched what he sought.
Absolute, unforgiving violence against those martial artists seeking fame by slaying the Sword Ghost.
He was captivated by that.
How to view it?
A tough question.
Especially now, with her goal of accumulating good karma.
So Wi Sowol decided to ask.
From the Immortal Creed:
Do not shame your ignorance; recognize what you do not know and seek learning.
The Paegeuk School teachings opened her mouth.
"Long ago, I had this acquaintance—not quite a friend, more like a distant contact. He probably doesn't remember me. But I remember him. We weren't that close, but he sticks in my mind for no reason. Now, if I get a chance to meet him, what would you do?"
A bit out of left field.
But knowing it was Wi Sowol unpacking her guarded past, Huang Bo-yun answered earnestly.
"Tricky... If I went to him and he doesn't know me. Maybe seeing my face jogs his memory?"
"Doubt it."
Unless Namgung Shin had met the heavens and lived a second life too.
"Then no real need to go, I guess."
Yeah, figured.
That's the normal response.
As Wi Sowol nodded in acceptance, ready to spend the day thoughtlessly as planned—
"But if he were in a tough spot, I'd probably help out."
"...Why?"
"You said he sticks in your mind, right? Better to put in a little effort and clear it up than leave it nagging. And... Does it matter if he forgot me? What matters is that I remember him."
Ah...
Something itched deep inside Wi Sowol.
Brain, heart, who knows.
If she had to pick, her heart.
Her heart tickled.
"In the end, what defines me is myself."
I myself am the lamp of truth.
If deluded, simply rely on me to live.
"Right. That makes sense."
"See?"
Huang Bo-yun beamed proudly.
"Thanks. Eases my mind a bit."
With that, Wi Sowol lightly tapped Huang Bo-yun's qi barrier—separating the deck from the pavilion interior—with her own qi.
"Time to head in. You said they have snacks, right?"
"Can't we just have mooncakes?"
Huang Bo-yun withdrew her barrier.
And as the two stepped out the door—
"Ah, uhum. Y-You two were here?"
Namgung Ji stood there, a touch flustered.
Fussing with her pristine clothes.
No mirror in sight.
§
Namgung Ji had predicted that this Dengwang Gathering was a trap plotted by Namgung Hwan.
The two direct descendants would naturally be on the upper floor.
But Namgung Hwan was the exception.
As the host, he freely roamed all three levels under the guise of checking middle and lower floors.
Meanwhile, he'd stacked the upper floor with his allies, thoroughly isolating Namgung Ji.
A petty tactic, but it worked well.
If his followers steered the upper floor's mood toward Sword Dragon favoritism, others there would think Sword Dragon had the edge and distance from Sword Peak.
That mood would spread through the shadows to middle and lower floors.
Turning the entire Dengwang Gathering into a Sword Dragon stronghold.
Knowing this, Namgung Ji had still come to Dengwang Pavilion.
To avoid seeming evasive, and because confronting the plan head-on could backfire badly on Namgung Hwan.
But her ambitious challenge fizzled before starting.
Her eyes fixed solely on the upper deck where Huang Bo-yun and Wi Sowol had vanished.
'Even set up a qi barrier. Peak realm expert. A strong one too.'
This was the answer.
Knowing the Dengwang Gathering was part of the Namgung succession battle, true heavyweights stayed away.
p>Gangseo martial world was practically the Namgung family's monopoly.
Get caught in the crossfire, and your sect's done for.
Like a small boat capsizing from a massive cruise ship brushing past.
Better to stay neutral.
Namgung Hwan's manipulations filtered participants further.
The biggest fish here had to be fellow Eight Great Family's Huang Bo-yun and Weird Physician's direct disciple Wi Sowol.
'Can't eavesdrop.'
Not hearing a thing even up close, Namgung Ji withdrew to wait for another chance.
At the worst possible timing, the door opened.
"Uhum, I was looking for you two. Wondered if you were inside."
"I see."
"It's just... You two arrived in Namchang today, right?"
Ah, so that's what she thought.
Made sense. Given their status, the Namgung family could've invited them properly.
No reason not to visit if coming to Dengwang Pavilion.
So Namgung Ji assuming they arrived today and that's why the events unfolded was natural.
"So I'd like to invite you to our main house to show it off. If your schedule allows? And... Lady Wi's attire is neat but plain, so on a day like today, pretty clothes would suit you. We have some nice ones; I'd love to lend them."
The awkward fluster from moments ago gone, Namgung Ji spoke leisurely.
Her eyes turned to Wi Sowol.
"The Moonlight Skirt would look perfect on you. What do you say?"
A skirt named Moonlight for its thin silk folds that shimmered like moonlight when moving.
Ten times more labor-intensive than other garments, a hundred times pricier depending on the silk.
Wearing one on Mid-Autumn was every woman's dream.
No matter Wi Sowol—a fresh young girl on the cusp of eighteen—could refuse, Namgung Ji judged.
The answer came from Huang Bo-yun first.
"We're grateful for the invitation, but unfortunately we have business..."
"Let's go."
"Huh, for real?"
"Yeah. Just a quick visit."
But no thanks on the Moonlight Skirt.